1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to: an image processing apparatus having a number of functions installed thereon, capable of displaying function buttons to call out screens for setting the functions on a display, for example of an operation panel; a display control method of controlling the display of the function buttons on the image processing apparatus; and a computer-readable recording medium having a display control program stored thereon to make a computer of the image processing apparatus implement the display control method.
2. Background Technology
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
The image processing apparatuses of recent years have gotten a number of executable functions installed thereon, as represented by a multifunctional image forming apparatus (Multi Function Peripheral) with the copy function, the print function, the facsimile function, the scanning function, and the like being installed thereon.
To use such a function, a user needs to display the function setting screen on an operation panel or the like, by pressing a function button to call out the screen. However, with more functions being installed thereon, more function buttons will be displayed on the operation panel accordingly, which may cause them the trouble of having too many function buttons thereon.
In terms of improving the use, it is a conventional practice to display function buttons in a multi-class tree structure. Specifically, function buttons are preliminarily organized by function category, and users select his/her preferred category among those to have a plurality of function buttons of this category on the display, and select his/her preferred function button among those to call out a screen for setting the function, and then perform setting of the function via the screen.
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2006-243952, an image processing apparatus displays function group icons for printer driver setting in a first display area given to a printer driver setting screen, and when a user presses one of the function group icons, it displays in a second display area, print condition items under the function group icon, and the user can set his/her preferred print condition among them.
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2006-323504, an image processing apparatus displays a plurality of icons in an icon display area, and allows users to view all these icons by scrolling this area back and forth. And with use of this image processing apparatus, it is advantageous that users can easily check a number of icons or items regardless of whether or not they have used them before and know which functions are assigned to these icons or items.
However, in the practice of displaying function buttons in a multi-class tree structure, users need to go through some screens or scroll the screen back and forth to find a function button of their target function, which is very troublesome.
Specifically, users may feel troublesome when trying to find a function button that they have used before. Furthermore, it is a problem that users may not recognize even if a value set for a function has been changed.
Unfortunately, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 2006-243952 and No. 2006-323504 cited above did not provide a perfect technology to resolve these inconveniences.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.